Sound emitting instrument



1958 R. E. PAIGE SOUND EMITTING INSTRUMENT Filed July 8, 1955 FIGS 26- 6 m N wd N m ATTORNEY United States Patent ()fiiice SOUND-EMITTING INSTRUMENT Richard EJPaige, New York, N. Y.

' Application July 8, 1955, Serial No. 520,766

1 Claim. 01. 45-179 My invention is an improved sound emitting instrument, preferably having the form of a toy and easily designed to be used as a whistle or flute.

An important object of my invention is to provide a windmperated toy that can easily be made of sheet material, such as cardboard, having portions that can be manipulated'and secured together togive the instrument the shape and structure required.

A further object is to provide a wind-operated toy which .can be fashioned out ofa blank of cardboard or other flexible sheet material having sections marked thereon by score lines, so that the blank can be bent and folded, and having novel and effective means for holding the parts of the blank in position when the instrument is finished.

Other objects and advantages and the nature of the invention are made clear in the following description, and the characteristics are defined in the appended claim. The drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention; but the disclosure is by way of example only; and changes in numerous details may be adopted without deviation from the general construction in which the invention resides.

On said drawings:

Figure 1 shows a blank from which the instrument is produced.

Figure 2 is a top plan of the completed instrument.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan.

Figure 4 is a side elevation.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section; and

Figure 6 is a blank for the production of a modification.

The blank, indicated as a whole by the numeral 1, has two relatively long parallel side edges 2 and 3; and is traversed by score lines 4, parallel to the edges 2 and 3. These score lines divide the major part of the blank into sections 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, of substantially equal width. At one end of the blank, the transverse terminal edge 10 is perpendicular to the edges 2 and 3, and the corners there are square and full; but at the opposite end, where the terminal edge 11 is also perpendicular to the edges 2 and 3, one of the corners at the adjacent end of the edge 2 is cut away along a concave line 12, which lies in the adjacent section 5 and extends across this section almost to the line 4 between the sections 5 and 6. Also at said opposite end of the blank the sections 7 and 9 have their corners adjacent the section 8 cut away in opposite directions along similar lines 12 of about the same length and curvature; and a portion or flap 13 of the section 8, which is as long as the blank, lies between the cut-away corners of the sections 7 and 9. This flap has a transverse score line 14 near its outer extremity and a similar transverse score line 14 substantially flush with the inner ends of the adjacent curved edges 12. The flap 13 thus has a hinged tab 15 at the outer end thereof.

The blank has a lateral extension 16 at the end having the cutaway portions marked by the curved lines 12. This extension is joined to the adjacent portion of the section 9, and has score lines 17 parallel to the score Patented Nov. 11, 1958 2 lines 4. One edge 18 of the extension is in line withthe edge 11 of the blank and another edge 19 is parallel to the edge 18. The score lines 17 run from the one edge 18 to the other edge 19, and mark off a short section 20 of such width that the edge 3 along the section 9 and the nearest line 17 are not in alinement, but said line 17 is farther than the edge 3 from the score line 4 between the sections 9 and 8. The edge 19 also crosses the other score line a short distance so that the section 20 is of less width than the length of line 19. Beyond the other score line 17 the extension has a terminal section 21, which is flush at one end with the edges 11 and 18, while the other end projects beyond the edge 19, and has its inner corner cut away on a convex line 22 of substantially the same length and curvature as the lines 12. The

outer corner at the end in line with the edge 18 is cut away on a concave line 23 of the same length and curvature as the-line12 at the end of the section 7, and both lines 22 and 23 are substantially parallel to said line 1-2. The outer straight edge 24 of the extension 16 is parallel to the edges 2 and 3 and bears a pointed tab 25. hingeconnected to the extension along a score line near the pointed endw-ith the convexedge 22. Similar tabs 25 are hinge-connectedto the blank-at the edge '3, one such tab near the terminal edge 10 and the other near the middle of the blank 1.

The section 8 has a circular aperture 26 about midway between the positions of the tabs 25 on the edge 3, and the section 6 has a tab 27 cut in it, hinged at one end, and extending across it about in line with the edge 19 of the extension 16. Between this tab or flap 27 and the edge 10, the section 6 has a row of circular apertures 28 of substantially the same size as the aperture 26. The blank 1 also has slits cut therein along the line 4 between the sections 5 and 6, these slits not being straight but each having a small protuberance 29 at the middle on one edge, and a corresponding recess 30 in the opposite edge. Each slit is in transverse alinement with one of the tabs 25 carried by the section 9. A similar slit is cut in the line 4 between the sections 7 and 8 in transverse alinement with the tab 25 on the extension 16.

To give the instrument its form, the blank 1, which is preferably of cardboard coated with paraflin, is bent along the line 4 so that the section 6 is on top, the section 8 serves as the bottom, and the sections 5 and 7 become the sides. The section 9 is turned to lie against the side 5 and the tabs 25 on the outer edge of the section 9 are inserted into the adjacent slits to hold the sections in position. The points of the tabs 25 can easily be pushed into the slits because the protuberances 29 lie in the plane of the top 6, and the recesses 30 lie in the plane of the side 5 and present a minute guide opening into which the point of the projection 25 can easily be thrust. The tab can then be quickly attached.

The extension 16 is caused to lie over the top and sides and the tab 25 it carries is forced with the same ease into the slit on the line between the side section 7 and bottom section 8, because this slit also has a recess 30 in the plane of the side 7; and all the tabs have the same outline and are notched at the junction with the sections 9 and 21, so that they are less likely to be pulled out.

The section or member 20 of the extension 16 has a small space between it and the top 6, and its terminal section 21 lies against the side 7, with the curved edge 22 running from the top 6 to the bottom 8. All the concave lines 12 in the side sections 5, 7, 9 and 21 now coincide, and the flap 13 on the lower section 8 is bent up towards the top 6 with the tab 15 bent into full contact with the top 6. The tab 15 is pressed against the inner face of the top 6 by the flap 13, which is long enough between the score lines 14 for this purpose. The curved edges 12 of the sides and adjacent portions of the top 6 and extension 16 and flap 13 constitute a tapering mouthpiece and the tab 27 is just aft of the extension 6. This tab is torn off, leaving an opening 31 as in Figure 5, and when air is blown through between the top 6 and extension 20, the rush of air past the transverse edges of the opening 31 generates sound. By means of the openings 26 and 28, the tonal effect can be varied and the instrument can be played as a flute. 1 The blank shown in Figure 6 is like the blank 1 in all respects except that it is shorter and the apertures 26 and 28'are omitted. Also the edge 3 has only one tab 25 and the blank has only one slit between the sections 5 and 6. This instrument gives forth sounds of virtually constant pitch and serves as a whistle, and then the protuberances overlie the tabs at their junction with the top 6.

The extension 16 which is joined to the section 9 secured like the section 21 against the sides of the instrument by the tabs 25, is thus spaced from the top 6 by a low and wide passage which is open at both ends, and the aperture 31 is located at the outlet end of this passage, the inlet end of the passage being at the mouthpiece. The air blown through the passage from the inlet end, flowing over the aperture 31, causes the air within the body to vibrate in'the wellknown manner.

Having described my invention, what I believe to be new is:

A sound-producing instrument having a hollow body with top, bottom and sides, a member overlying a portion of the exterior surface of the top at one end, and separated from said surface but secured to said sides and forming with said portion'an air passage open at both ends, the top having a transverse opening adjacent the outlet end of said passage, the bottom having a portion bent into engagement with said top at said outlet end and closing the adjacent end of the body, said member being an extension attached to one side and bent over the top, and secured against the opposite side, said extension having a tab adjacent said opposite side, and the body having a slit at the junction of said opposite side and bottom, each slit having a protuberance at one edge and a recess matching said protuberance on the opposite edge, the tab being overlaid at said junction by said protuberance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 408,539 Russell Aug. 6, 1889 619,757 Johnstone et a1. Feb. 21, 1899 1,341,860 Morley June 1, 1920 1,389,589 Kohn Sept. 6, 1921 1,676,659 McIntyre July 10, 1928 1,860,710 Gilbert May 31, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 396,531 Great Britain Aug. 10, 1933 

